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The Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Hong Kong) and the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change jointly organised a forum titled ‘Business and Sustainability’ on 10 November. The forum, which falls under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Forum Series, gathered experts from different sectors to discuss effective solutions for incorporating the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into business strategies. 

Prof. Carlos Lo, Department Chairman and Professor of the Department of Government and Public Administration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), was the keynote speaker and panel discussion moderator of the forum. Other guest speakers included Mr Prentice Koo, Executive Director of Fair Trade Hong Kong, Dr Simon Wong, Assistant Scientific Manger of the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, and Mr Tony Wong, Founder of Alaya Consulting.

Prof. Lo gave a talk titled ‘Business and SDGs: Engaging Businesses in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability through the Hong Kong Business Sustainability Index (HKBSI)’. He said that the HKBSI aims to increase listed companies’ awareness of CSR, and to inspire local companies to adopt CSR as a progressive business model to achieve business sustainability. The HKBSI assessment is based on the unique ‘Values – Process – Impact (VPI)’ model. The assessment also includes a company’s contribution to economic, social and environmental sustainability, as well as its efforts to promote the UN’s SDGs. Prof. Lo added that adopting CSR as a business model is not just an effective way to build up a company’s reputation; more importantly, it will improve its competitive advantage and hence its investment value.

During the panel discussion and Q&A session, the guest speakers and Mr Toby Lau, Youth Network Coordinator of SDSN Hong Kong, had a fruitful discussion with the audience about implementing sustainable development initiatives through different business models. 

The Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Hong Kong)  

The Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Hong Kong), which was officially launched in January 2018, is co-hosted by CUHK and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Under the umbrella of the global SDSN, SDSN Hong Kong seeks to mobilise expertise, information and resources from academic, philanthropic, government, business and nonprofits to address the most pressing environmental, social and economic issues in Hong Kong and advance sustainable development. SDSN Hong Kong looks forward to identifying further means of collaboration on research and pursuing sustainability solutions with local and international researchers and leaders in sustainable development. 

More details about the SDSN Hong Kong can be found at http://www.sdsn-hk.org/. 

Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change 

The Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was established in December 2013 at CUHK. It is the first museum of its kind in the world, offering an interactive, multimedia exhibition that showcases valuable collections and information about climate change. It is the ideal venue for the public to champion the cause of environmental stewardship and keep themselves abreast of the latest developments in environmental conservation and sustainability. The Museum has attracted about 360,000 visitors since its inception. In 2017, the Trust pledged its support for a three-year initiative of the Museum: ‘JC–CUHK Climate Action’. Under this initiative, the Museum runs a variety of environmental education activities to help the people of Hong Kong better understand the potentially devastating effects of climate change, suggest innovative solutions, and engage in climate action. 

More details about the Museum can be found at http://www.mocc.cuhk.edu.hk/.